For prolonged presence in sunlit areas, such as outdoor construction sites, your eyes may be exposed to too much sunlight. This increases your risk of eye cancer and other problems resulting from excess exposure of the eyes to UV radiation. You have only your two eyes, so there’s not a do-over if they are damaged by UV radiation from direct exposure to sunlight.
The bill of your hardhat will shade your eyes from direct sunlight for most of the day, provided you aren’t looking up. But light reflecting from metallic or glass surfaces many still be intense enough to cause fatigue or to cause actual, permanent eye damage.
UV-rated safety glasses solve this problem, but there are some caveats:
- UV-rated glasses are often too dark to be appropriate for indoor work.
- Not all dark glasses are UV rated.
- Not all colored lenses are UV rated. Amber-tinted glasses were originally designed for low-light situations. Those types of glasses should never be worn in bright sunlight.
- Sunglasses are not safety glasses. Don’t switch to sunglasses when outside and think your eyes are protected. Any glasses worn on the job must be ANSI Z87.1-compliant.
- If you have prescription glasses that automatically adjust to sunlight and the lenses are UV-rated, they also need to be ANSI Z87.1-compliant.
What’s a good strategy? If you’re working outside, there’s always a risk of looking up and looking directly into the sun. So prepare for that risk by wearing UV-rated safety glasses. If you go indoors (for break or whatever), switch to normal safety glasses. To avoid breaking or scratching the other pair, use a glasses case that will accommodate your safety glasses. Get a case that has a lanyard loop and attach it with a carabiner to your tool pouch or maybe your belt or your phone holster.
